THE GOLD FIELD.

Taranaki Herald, Volume I, Issue 14, 3 November 1852, Page 2

THE GOLD FIELD.

> The anxiously, expected Undine arrived this afternoon from Coromandel Harbour, which place she left this morning, bringing the Native Secretary, Major Nugent, and the sub-Committee deputed to inquire into the claim preferred by Mr. C. Ring, to the reward of £500 offered to the first discoverer of an available Gold Field within certain fixed distances from the capital. A meeting of the General Committee was held at 4 o'clock this afternoon, to receive the report and to inspect the samples of gold and quartz which were procured by the deputation, and it was then resolved to publish for general information the following announcement :— « The Committee appointed by the Sub-

scribers towards the Reward Fund, deeming it to be desirable that the Public should have correct information relative to the alleged discovery of GOLD, take this, the, I earliest opportunity of stating that the Deputation appointed by them to visit the locality of the alleged discovery have returned and thatthe report is satisfactory in so far as the existence of Gold is concerned ; but that the question of its being sufficiently abundant to be profitably worked is yet in abeyance. " By order of the Committee, " Thomas S. Fousaith, Secretary. " Auckland, Oct. 23, 1852." This intelligence is confirmatory of the information we/were enabled to afford in our issue '( thtis morning as to the existence of Gold in the district which has been the scene of operations, and that it had as yet been found only in small quantities. It is quite true that ithe explorations had been hurriedand imperfect, the surface soil having been that which was in most cases operated upon ; yet from almost every sample of this 'which was washed fine scales of god have been obtained. The peculiar formation of the bed of the creek, which is filled with very large quartz boulders, renders the operation of sinking the usual " holes" one of great difficulty without proper "tools and machinery : but in one instance, from a' hole which was sunk to a depth of about 4 feet, a small grain of gold about the size of a barley-corn Avas taken, in presence of the 'Committee, and -from another hole a little higher up the stream, a nugget was obtained as large as a full sized pea. Gold was also reported to the deputation to have been discovered in a creek about ten miles further up. the Thames. This, we believe, is the sum of the information which the deputation has been enabled officially to afford. It -is abundantly sufficient to give an increased impetus to the spirit of discovery, and we have no doubt that "bands of determined seekers will leave no creek or gully ' unexplored. It is, we believe, the 'impression of the individual members of the deputation that gold exists in abundance, and will eventually be procured in remtmeratrve quantities as soon as competent labour and the requisite machinery are brought to bear upon it. Meantime it is declared by all those returned, with whom we have conversed upon the matter, as 'their belief that individuals who proceed to the " diggings," unfurnished with needful tools, and who are not .prepared for exceedingly laborious work, will certainly lose their time, and meet with grievous disappointment." Human intelligence is inadequate to the task^olf tracing even the probabilities of the future to which/this information points. — II There is a Providence which shapes our ways, rough-hew them as we may." That this event must inevitably have an important influence on the destinies of these settlements is not to be doubted ; and we have sufficient faith in human intelligence and energy to believe, that it will lay hold on and direct all the circumstances which may surround it ; and however dark and doubtful the presage may be, by the united force of reason and perseverance, bring all that is good and beneficial out of the chaos about it. I

The news given in another column respecting the progress of the New Zealand Constitution Bill through the Imperial Legislature, is very satisfactory ; and should, we think, be matter of sincere congratulation to the people of this settlement especially. The first modification stated, relieves us of an incubus of no ordinary weight in the present condition of the settlement. Five hundred a year for a superintendent, whose

active duties will be confined to some ten weeks 'during the year, may do very well for communities like Wellington and Auckland ; which to use an expressive American phrase, have " gone ahead apace ;" and become places of wealth and importance : but with other less fortunate settlements, which have not had in early days the same advantages of organisation and capital, and are found lagging behind, inconsiderable in population, and crippled an resources by official neglect and mismanagement — the case is]widely different. > Before all the other settlements this isjapplicable to New Plymouth. Progressing out'of its own tenacious vitality,rather iv spite of every difficulty, than by any impetus lent by those from whom she might naturally look for comfort and assistance ; we were much inclined todoubt her ability to hear the expenses, which the machinery of the bill in its original shape, would have entailed upon as. This point is now set at rest, and the appointment and .payment alike committed to our own hands ; and the modification, in our opinion, clears away much of the difficulty. No doubt the settlement will provide liberally for the geritlemanwhomay be the oLject of its choice ; and our provincial legislature, under the new state of things, will be able, by judicious alterations in the application of our finances, to make ample provision for this, and for other useful and necessary purposes, which have been too long neglectedAs regards the second pomt — respecting the Company's claim— if the amendment said to be incorporated in the bill limiting •that claim to one-tenth of the produce of the land sales, .proves to be correct j we think it may be received as a satisfactory solution of an ungracious question. The probabilities are, that a few weeks will bring us the amended measure in the shape of an act of Parliament ; when all its bearings in its corrected state will be scrutinized, with a view to see what'&mount of good can be practically worked o«t of it.

' The bill had passed through Committee, and no doubt remained of its being carried through Parliament before the dissolution. Although the machinery of the bill as far as we can ascertain from the papers received has undergone no material alteration ; some very important modifications "have been introduced into the details of the measure. It was suggested by the Colonial Secretary and received with acclamation by the House, tr»at the Superintendents of provinces, instead of being appointed by the Governor-in-chief, should be elected by the same constituency which would elect tha members for the Provincial Legislatures ; leaving to the Provincial Legislatures the option of paying them or not. ' A second important modification was agreed to l>y the Government in relation to the Company's claim, vie., that the Company should have one fourth of the sums derived from the land sales, in place of the ss. per acre stipulated in the original bill ; and from the " Wellington Independent" we learn that a further amendment was subsequently proposed and Agreed, limiting the Company's claim to one-tenth. A gratuitous godsend was also to be engrafted on the bill giving the Provincial Legislatures all profits from gold or other precious metals found in New Zealand. All parties in England appeared to be preparing for the coming struggle. The dissolution of Parliament was etill looked for at the end of June. The two great sections of Parliament were intent on gathering " golden opinions from all sorts of men" and the materials for stage effect in the appeals shortly to be made to the nation, were rising to the surface of the troubled sea of politics. On the 14th of June, Lord John Russbil undertook a critical examination of the foreign policy of the administration, and was

ably seconded by the ex-foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston ; and it is said succeeded in proving the utter incapacity of Lord Malmesdury for the (position he occupies, showing how miserably he had committed himself, and by inference the country. On the other hand the Ministry appeared to be indulging in a courseof liberal tendencies, hitherto considered very unbecoming in the party to which they belong ; some of the fruits of which this colony is likely to reap.

It has been asserted that in the recent articles we have published on the natives, the inferences to be drawn from certain paragraphs amount to nothing less than an assertion, that dangerous influences are contemplated, if not at work, for the annihilation of the natives. Mischievous to the last degree, and calculated to bring about the worst consequences, they cannot be too strongly repudiated, too quickly disavowed. It is notorious that an Ordinance exists in full force and rigidly executed forbidding the sale of spirits to the natives — that they have been warned with persevering solicitude of the baneful effects' of their imprudent use of the invaluable blanket. And last not least, that the settlers of this place are too busily employed in obtaining local improvement and beneficial institutions, as important to the present and future well-be-mgA>f the natives as to themselves, to be thinking of the ammunitions of war, which their peaceable and friendly relations with the natives, and their own otderly conduct alike render unnecessary and useless. We have a strong feeling that the Home Government is but very imperfectly acquainted with the true state of the settlements for which it is legislating ; but whether it be possible or not to bring the natives of these islands to a true appreciation of the benefits and blessings connected with the civilised rule and just institutions under which it is sought to bring them — to gainsay the good and benificent intentions of the Government, and the almost universal feeling of the settlers in favor of the aborigines, is as untrue in fact, as it is mischievous in the last degree as a policy.

Nothing is more conducive to the good order and happiness of a community, and consequently more desirable, than the ability to make its wants and grievances known to those in aulhoiity : and the more frequent the governing power and the governed — so intimately connected together, and whose interests rightly understood are so interwoven and identified — can be brought to ftiendly and considerate parley, the better will the people be satisfied ; and the more satisfactory and stable will the Government become. But simple as this necessary communion appears, it is not without its difficulties, indeed, without some approach to order and system, it is impossible to accomplish efficiently what at firs^Sight appears as easy as it is every way desirable. It is an old adage that " what is every body's business, is no body's business ;" and in nothing is it more applicable than in the exemplification of the wants and wishes of the many. Without some organisation and system, it is next to impossible to assimilate the varying opinions of a large number of persons, so as to give that individuality, consistency, and weight to their suggestions and remonstrances which might justify a Government in yielding them attention, aud giving its assistance in furthering them. All experience attests the truth, that watchfulness and energy on the popular side, ever begets circumspection and vigilance in the governing power, and contributes most materially in evolving measures suited to the genius of the people. We hail therefore with pleasure, the establishing of a " People's Constitutional Association" in this settlement. Its objects appear to us to be of the most whole some and useful kind, viz., to secure to the

community full representative institutions ; and as far as possible to assimilate our present system to the happy institutions of our native country. Judiciously conducted, the good it may operate in local affaftifjis incalculable, but the scope of its usefulness will be smaller or greater according to the support and countenance it receives from the people. The time is fast arriving when this settlement will have to make'its first effort at self government. The startling alternativetake the management of your own affairs into your own hands, or surrender to a few officials the direction of your destinies — will bo suddenly presented to us. We have too much confidence in a community of Englishmen to doubt the result; but would warn them that they cannot prepate too soon for such responsibilities. The sooner men's minds are imbued with the necessity, and schooled to the habit of canvassing such matters for themselves the better citizens will they become, and the more quickly will the institutions under which they live develop beneficial influences, and attain a permanent and useful basis. If good government be a blessing beyond all price — and who can doubt it ? — it becomes the bounden duty of every man — and more particularly /of those whose standing property and education point them out as best qualified to direct such an organization — to perform with fealty their services to the commonwealth of which they are members ; ever bearing in mind, that the debt they owe for the institutions they inherited, can only be satisfied by transmitting the blessings of those institutions, if not improved, at least unimpaired to posterity, I